Club players usually have higher demands on their material. Hence, club players often compile their table tennis rackets based on a table tennis blade and two table tennis rubbers. Some of them compile and glue the racket on their own using a table tennis glue, others have the racket assembled and mounted by a trustful shop.

Another important ingredient is the so called edge banding (or edge tape), which should be chosen in a suitable color. Prior to mounting the rubbers onto the table tennis blade, it is lacquered using a blade sealing. After each training session, you should clean your racket using a table tennis cleaner.

The storage of your table tennis equipment is another important factor. For this, a ping pong paddle case (racket / bat cover, or bat case) is used. The bat case can then be placed into a backpack, a sports bag, or even into a table tennis trolley.

In terms of ping pong clothes, there are several categories, too. These include jerseys, tracksuits, classical table tennis shorts, but also table tennis shoes.

In case you want to know more about table tennis equipment available in our table tennis shop, you can easily follow the above mentioned links which will direct you to the corresponding categories. You are also invited to read our complete advisor regarding table tennis equipment and accessories.

Keep reading - The complete advisor, all about table tennis equipment

Table of contents:

1. 1. Table tennis equipment and accessories - All about the ping pong paddle
      • The Ping pong paddle - What do you need to keep in mind?
      • Table tennis rubbers - A first coarse classification
      • The table tennis blade - Hints regarding the selection of your blade
   2. Ping pong balls - Without the balls it simply doesn´t work
   3. Table tennis equipment - Cleaners, glues, and other "small stuff"
      • Table tennis cleaner - What does the perfect racket protection look like?
      • Table tennis glue - Mount the rubbers by your own or have them mounted
   4. Textiles, bags, covers, cases, and how you can stow your table tennis equipment
      • The right storage of table tennis goods
      • Ping pong clothes and protection from sweating
   5. Ping pong tables and other large table tennis equipment - Tips for the ordering process
      • The ping pong table - For hobby, leisure, club, or maybe school?
      • Table tennis robots - For a better training
   6. Other table tennis equipment

   able tennis equipment and accessories - All about the ping pong paddle

   Isn´t it true that any kind of table tennis (or ping pong) equipment, which is necessary to conduct this sport, also belongs to the category table tennis accessories? In order to play table tennis, you need ping pong paddles, ping pong balls, a ping pong table, and at least two people (or one person and a ping pong robot). The more professionally you play table tennis, the higher the demands on the table tennis equipment.
2. Jerseys, tracksuits, shoes, certificates, tables, even table tennis robots: Somehow, they all belong into the category table tennis equipment / accessories. The bottom line, however, is that the most important table tennis equipment is your own spirit, the mentality of the player him/herself saying: YES, I want to do this sport professionally! The inner attitude saying: When using a cheap run-of-the-mill paddle, I am not having the success to meet my own demands. The conviction telling you that not a random shoe from a discounter is the best choice for table tennis, but a real table tennis shoe which is "specialized" to meet the requirements associated with this sport (e.g. shoes from Mizuno or Donic).

The most important table tennis equipment was and will always be the ping pong paddle. Table tennis equipment is extremely versatile. However, we are convinced that the table tennis equipment significantly influences the playing strength and also the success of each player, both psychologically and playfully.

1. The most extensive topic all around table tennis materials (a.k.a table tennis equipment or accessories) is probably the ping pong paddle (also called table tennis bat or racket). This topic fills the conversations in table tennis clubs or platforms. Of course, there is only one "thing" responsible in case you lose a match: THE PADDLE (racket) ;-)

It is not a surprise that some ping pong players are confused. This is because there is an incredible range of selection of highly different table tennis rackets from many different table tennis brands. What rubbers should I use? What influence do the blade and the veneer composition have? What type of handle is the best one? There are innumerable questions regarding the issues of table tennis equipment and ping pong paddles. In this extensive article, we will try to address most of them, and we will also provide hints for related literature for those of you who want to learn even more.

The ping pong paddle - What do you need to keep in mind?

Let us first start with the (probably) most complicated of all table tennis products: The ping pong paddle. Why complicated? This is because there are countless models and versions. Don´t panic, we´ll go through this step by step. For a ping pong paddle, there are many names meaning the same thing. What name is being used mainly depends on where you live. Common alternative names for a ping pong (or table tennis) paddle are racket or bat. The table tennis racket consists of three mayor components:

• Handle
  The handle of a paddle has direct contact between the player and the racket itself. For this reason, it is very important that the handle lies comfortably in your hand. Note that the paddle provides feedback regarding the ball behavior, which is achieved via the handle. Within the skin of your hand as well as your deeper tissue (like muscles, tendons, ligaments), there are so called mechanoreceptors. They detect mechanical stimuli (e.g. pressures & vibrations due to movements coming from the ball and racket), and convert them into biological electrical impulses called action potentials. These travel all along afferent nerve fibers into your central nervous system (somatosensory cortex), and are then interpreted as the actual feeling you are perceiving. Finally, via efferent fibers, muscles will be activated, and the resultant movement makes you act properly in order to optimally hit the ball. So in case you are buying / have bought a ping pong paddle, take it in your hand and make some movements, or a game. Does the bat slip out of your hand? Is it comfy, stable and pleasant? Keep in mind that regarding handles, there are four different overall types: Straight, anatomical, flared (or concave), and conical. Most players prefer a flared handle.

• Blade / Head
  The head of the racket (the blade) is mainly made of natural wood. However, in many table tennis paddles there are also synthetic materials incorporated (e.g. Carbon). The blade is made of several thin layers (also called veneers or plies) which are glued with each other. There are harder veneers (e.g. Walnut, Wenge, Koto, Mahogany, or Santos) and softer ones (e.g. Balsa, Linden (Lime), Spruce, Poplar, or Abachi), or a combination of both. The hardness, density, and strength of the various wood types considerably dictate the gaming properties and behavior of the ping pong ball after its contact with the paddle. Hard, heavy, and strong woods make the blade fast, powerful, and jumpy. The opposite is the case when using soft, light, and "weaker" woods. Fine-scaled intermediate stages can be obtained by combining both wood types. Since your individual gaming style further develops over the years, you can cleverly select your blades.

• Rubbers
  The next layer neighboring the veneers (the outer / finishing veneer to be exact) is the so called sponge (or sponge support), which is glued onto the blade. The sponge is a plastic layer (soft, not like a thermoplastic) exhibiting various thicknesses. The so called rubbers are then glued on top of the sponge support. These are commonly based on a rubber compound. In 1986, the ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation) determined that during the game, one side of the paddle has to be red (red rubber), and the other black (black rubber). Similarly to the veneers of a blade, also the rubbers are available in many different designs, material properties, and thicknesses. These significantly influence the ball behavior at / after its contact with the table tennis racket. All rubbers have in common that they are based on two different structures: Either pimples (a.k.a. pips) in, or out. Pips in is used by most table tennis players. In this case, the pimples are directed toward the inner part of the table tennis bat (toward the sponge). The smooth surface is in contact with the ball. This type of rubber is usually based on a) natural rubber (resulting in very fast, but less catchy and, hence, less spinny balls); or b) synthetic rubber (the balls are a bit slower, but the rubber surface is very catchy enabling very spinny balls). Pimples out correspond to the other direction: The pimples are directed outwards (toward the ball), and the smooth surface is in contact with the inner part of the paddle. For this, natural rubber is most commonly used. Due to its low grip and adhesion, it only allows a small amount of spin.

Ping pong beginners in particular must first learn many things: Basic techniques such as topspins, backspins, blocks, or serves. First, they need to fully develop a feeling for the ball and the sport. They also need to develop coordinative skills. This means that beginners need a table tennis racket that is not too defensive (Def), but also not too offensive (Off). It must be right in the middle, a so called allround (All) ping pong paddle. These are based on All blades and All rubbers, which can be individually compiled and ordered (of course, we also mount the rubbers and blade for you!). You can also order complete (finally assembled) All rackets. A professional table tennis bat, which is based on hard woods and fast rubbers, is designed for a fast and offensive (Off) game. Such a ping pong bat makes no sense for beginners, because they cannot control such bats. As a consequence, the progress is limited causing less motivation and fun during the training. TT-Shop.com strongly recommends to consider this, and to use allround products for beginners instead.

Also the maintenance and care of table tennis rackets and rubbers should be considered because these products - of course - wear out. During breaks, when the paddle is in your bag or gets dusty on the shelf, protective films or foils are very suitable (they cover the rubbers). Also, rubber sprays and tissues or sponges are worth a recommendation. Edge tapes (or edge banding), for example, protect the gluing of the outer parts of the paddle, particularly the veneers.

Table tennis rubbers - A first coarse classification

Basically, ping pong rubbers are divided into rubbers with pimples in, pimples out, and anti-topspin rubbers. Here, we want to offer you a brief advisory text in terms of ping pong rubbers trying to help you to answer the most urgent questions.

Rubbers with Pips in

When selecting an appropriate rubber, it is primarily decisive to know what gaming system the player prefers. Knowing the gaming style of the player (e.g. allround, offensive, or defensive), it is way easier to find a suitable rubber since basically, table tennis rubbers can be classified into three different categories.

The kind of rubber that is played the most by far are rubbers with pimples in. These rubbers support defensive, variable, and offensive gaming styles, depending on the exact type of rubber you choose. The gaming properties of the rubbers with pips in depend on the properties of the sponge, and on the structure & composition of the topsheet (upper or outer rubber layer). Later on we will talk about such things in more detail.

Rubbers with pips out

The second type of table tennis rubbers are the ones with pips out. As the name already suggests, the pimples are directed outwards. For such a kind of rubbers, the length of the pimples is a very important criteria which mainly influences the gaming properties. Furthermore, also the sponge thickness and sponge hardness contribute considerably. Also within this category, there are suitable rubbers depending on the individual gaming style. Often, long pips (out) are commonly used by defensive ping pong players, whereas short pips (out) are more suitable for offensive gaming styles.

Anti (spin) rubbers

Anti rubbers (or anti spin rubbers) are the third and last category. Antis are the least common type of rubbers, and their name already suggests their major specialty. In contrast to the surface of rubbers with pimples in, the surface of anti spin rubbers is not (or only little) catchy. This very little amount of grip makes players using antis not (or only slightly) prone to rotational balls. Of course, also in terms of antis there are various types of rubbers. They exhibit quite different properties of the topsheet and sponge, depending on what type you choose.

In case you have made your decision regarding what general type of rubber you want, you should really take a closer look at the different properties and characteristics which significantly influence the gaming behavior of the table tennis rubbers.

The influence of the sponge hardness on gaming characteristics

In general, table tennis rubbers can be divided into the following categories in terms of their sponge hardness: Soft, medium, and hard. However, many rubbers can already be classified in various intermediate stages, such as "medium+" or "medium-hard". Sometimes, this can really be confusing. The sponge hardness can also be given in degrees ("°") so that there is a specific value available. However, it is sometimes not quite easy to find out this value.

Below, we would like to explain to you the most important differences between soft and hard table tennis rubbers:

Soft rubbers generally exhibit more control and "forgive" more errors when not optimally hitting the ball. This can be explained by the fact that the ball penetrates deeper into a soft sponge compared to a hard sponge. Additionally, soft rubbers also exhibit a larger catapult effect. This is also explained be the above-mentioned fact that the ball penetrates deep into the material. Consequently, it is pushed away leaving the rubber at an increased speed (catapult-effect). Hence, soft rubbers make your balls quite fast even with little physical effort. Last but not least, soft rubbers weigh less than hard rubbers.

In contrast, hard table tennis rubbers exhibit a more direct touch of the ball and an increased penetration power. As already mentioned, they are also heavier than soft rubbers. When correctly conducting the strokes, balls are clearly faster and more precise when using hard rubbers compared to soft ones. Particularly when doing short and fast stroke movements, hard rubbers cause an immense acceleration!

In contrast to soft rubbers, hard rubbers can produce significantly more spin when doing finishing / final strokes. It is logical that hard rubbers exhibit less natural catapult. This allows the player to adjust the speed of the strokes and balls by him/herself.

To summarize, we can say that soft table tennis rubbers are easier to control, and it is easier to generate spin and speed. In contrast to this, hard table tennis rubbers exhibit a way larger potential for rotation & acceleration. This, however, requires that you do the stroke movement correctly, hitting the ball optimally.

The influence of the sponge thickness on gaming characteristics

Once you have made your decision what sponge hardness to choose, the next important question appears right away: What sponge thickness should you use? Please note that even when using the same rubber, it behaves in a completely different way when using different sponge thicknesses.

As a general rule the following applies: The thicker the sponge, the larger the natural catapult-effect of the rubber. Of course, this also increases the acceleration. In addition, the potential for spin and the trajectory of the ball depend on the sponge thickness. The thicker the sponge of your ping pong paddle, the deeper the ball can penetrate into the rubber. This considerably increases the amount of rotation you can generate (more spin). Furthermore, the angle of the rebounding ball (the exit angle) is steeper which makes the trajectory of the ball more curved / arched.

In case you choose a thin(ner) sponge thickness, the spin is not as intensively "accepted", and the trajectory of the ball is flatter. This will increase the amount of control when playing passive balls. Since thin rubbers (including sponges) also exhibit a decreased amount of speed and catapult, these rubbers generally exhibit more control. Please note, however, that thin sponges also make your table tennis rubber appear harder. This is because when doing hard strokes, the ball will penetrate very deep into the material, hence touching the even harder blade.

To memorize, a thin sponge provides less catapult-effects and a lower speed; but at the same time an increased amount of control, a flat trajectory of the ball, and a low weight. A thick sponge makes your rubber faster, spinnier, and causes a higher trajectory of the ball.

The influence of surface properties on gaming properties

In addition to the hardness and thickness of the sponge, the grip (catchiness) of the topsheet is the third large factor considerably influencing the gaming behavior of your rubber. In terms of this, the catchiness of a rubber is usually considered to limit its potential for rotation. Hence, it is also true to say that the catchier the rubber, the easier it is to generate spin.

The assumption "the catchier a rubber, the more spin" is, in contrast, not completely correct. This assumption is only true up to the point where the optimal catchiness of your table tennis rubber is reached. Please note that the catchiness (grip) of a rubber is not the only factor contributing to the generation of rotation.

Other factors include hitting the ball as optimally as possible, your own stroke movements (including the whole motor chain: legs, hip, torso, arm, wrist, hand, and paddle), your individual technique, the ball, and the paddle / blade you are using. It can be summarized that the catchier a ping pong rubber, the easier it is to generate spin. However, catchy rubbers are also more prone to spin and they are harder to control.

For these reasons, relatively few players use typical Chinese rubbers. These are equipped with a very sticky surface, making them extremely catchy.

classical rubbers without integrated speed-gluing effect

After we have clarified most factors which influence the gaming characteristics, we now want to differentiate between classical and tensor rubbers (both are a sub-category of rubbers with pips in).

First, we would like to start with classical rubbers, which do not possess an integrated speed-gluing effect.

Although during the last couple of years many players switched to tensor rubbers, there are still many ping pong players out there swearing by the real "classics" and their highly appreciated gaming properties.

Classical table tennis rubbers are quite different from tensor rubbers in terms of their lower speed and their missing catapult effect. The low overall speed and the good control make classical rubbers a perfect choice for beginners and allround ping pong players.

In contrast to tensor rubbers, classical rubbers literally force you to acquire and learn a clear and correct technique. This is because such rubbers do not possess a catapult-effect which normally supports you to accelerate the balls. Also during passive strokes, classical rubbers allow an excellent ball safety and -at the same time- a lower susceptibility to spin due to the flat trajectory of the ball.

Finally, classical ping pong rubbers are not only lighter and have a much better durability, they are also cheaper compared to tensor rubbers.

Tensor-rubbers with integrated speed-gluing effect

The main characteristic of a tensor is the integrated speed-gluing effect, which is responsible for an increased overall speed and a higher potential for rotation. Of course, even table tennis players whose technique is not completely clean & correct can generate more spin and speed using tensor ping pong rubbers. However, the full potential of tensors is only achieved when correctly and appropriately hitting the ball. Hence, tensor table tennis rubbers are particularly suitable for players who already master all techniques and who exhibit a higher playing level (skilled players).

Still, you should be aware of the following: The pronounced catapult effect and the increased amount of dynamics make it harder to control a tensor rubber! This is way easier using a classical rubber.

However, there are now many different "easy game" or "easy-to-play" tensor rubbers available, which also exhibit a very good control and a moderate catapult effect only. Hence, for beginners and players who usually use classical rubbers, these constitute a real alternative to start with (or to change to) easy-game tensor rubbers.

The only negative aspect might be the price level. Compared to classical rubbers, tensor rubbers not only exhibit a shorter life expectancy, they are also more expensive.

The table tennis blade - Hints regarding the selection of your blade

When selecting and choosing the appropriate table tennis equipment, many players focus on rubbers. What is the reason for this? We all know that when the ball hits the racket, it first touches the rubbers. This is probably the reason as to why many players think that the rubbers determine the most important properties in terms of the overall table tennis paddle.

But isn´t it true that the blade is the inner core, the soul of the table tennis racket? The blade is the basis for many important properties of the whole paddle. In this context, you already know that soft woods provide much control. Hard(er) woods exhibit a more direct touch of the ball. Hence, they cause a faster feeling.

When selecting your table tennis blade, it is very important to consider that it should be balanced and harmonic. What good is a hard "board" making each stroke and shot faster and faster if your own gaming system requires much control and feeling?

In our category of table tennis blades, we published an extensive advisor / guidebook on this topic. Have fun reading through!

Ping pong balls - Without the balls it simply doesn´t work

Without table tennis balls, you cannot play table tennis. So far, so good. But there are differences between the balls. Each ping pong ball has to fulfill criteria including certain measures and properties before it can be officially approved. Lately, there have also been some innovations and changes of what kind of balls are allowed for official events.

In former times, ping pong balls were exclusively made of celluloid. Celluloid table tennis balls were imported from Europe (exported from the USA) at the end of the 19th century. Before that era, balls were mainly made of rubber or cork exhibiting a diameter of approx. 5 cm. Celluloid table tennis balls are made of camphor and cellulose nitrate. First, there are two even and thin plates. By deep-drawing them, those plates are then deformed into two hollow spheres. After this, the spheres are sticked together using an adhesive (acetone, which is a solvent) and heat, resulting in the final ball shape. In order to achieve perfect roundness, the adhesive/glue seams are further processed. At the end, those ping pong balls must fulfill strict criteria in terms of their weight, circumference, etc. Unfortunately, celluloid is easily inflammable, and the production is dangerous (also to the health). This is also based in the fact that solvents are used as a glue. For these reasons, in 2014, the ITTF prohibited the old celluloid table tennis balls for official competitions and tournaments. Only the new plastic balls are officially permitted ever since.

The new ping pong plastic balls, also known as poly balls, have a slightly larger diameter (slightly more than 40 mm) than the old celluloid balls (almost 40 mm). It is very noticeable that the poly balls sound a bit duller and are not as elastic at impact compared to the old celluloid balls. In addition, their increased size makes the new plastic balls a bit slower.

As already mentioned, table tennis balls are controlled and tested very strictly. This is important because in the end, the same conditions must be present when playing ping pong. Still, balls for competitions must fulfill even stricter requirements compared to balls for training purposes. In this context, so called 3-star-balls exhibit the best and highest quality. Hence, these balls are designed for competitions. The next slightly lower levels are so called 2- and 1-star-balls. Although these are qualitatively superior compared to simple training balls, they are not permitted for official competitions (not ITTF-approved). Training balls exhibit the lowest quality. They are usually used for training purposes for kids or beginners. In such training sessions, kids or beginners do not play "classical" table tennis, but perform other exercises (e.g. balance or coordinative tasks with paddle & ball) instead. Hence, the use of such training balls is absolutely justified! Often, training balls are orange.

Table tennis equipment - Cleaners, glues, and other "small stuff"

To stow small table tennis utensils, especially the side pockets of the above-mentioned sports bags are very suitable. Small table tennis equipment / accessories of "pro" club players are very versatile, and may include notepads for eager scorers, sweatbands, towels, cleaners, spare edge bandings, or a tube of table tennis glue for the emergency, for example.

Table tennis cleaner - What does the perfect racket protection look like?

Cleaning table tennis rubbers plays another very important role when maintaining and caring ping pong paddles. That's why a club player, who is equipped with the right table tennis accessories, can't avoid buying a table tennis cleaner and sponge. An additional protective foil rounds off the whole thing. Then, the surface of the rubber is protected optimally.

In our shop category called table tennis cleaners, you can find a clear selection of products containing cleaners and care products.

Table tennis glue - Mount the rubbers by your own or have them mounted

Notwithstanding the fact that many of our customers use our table tennis racket configurator when buying their first ping pong paddle, the rubbers are definitely wear parts. Depending on how often and intensively you train, the rubbers must be replaced in order to be able to rely on their optimal properties.

For your own individual requirements, a table tennis glue is essential in case you frequently replace your rubbers. Especially in terms of the modern tensor rubbers, latex glues are strongly recommended. This is simply based on the fact that rubbers from the Donic Bluefire series or the Rasant & Evolution (here only the FXP, ELP, and MXP series), for example, exhibit large and deep pores. All none-latex-glues do not completely fill these pores. Hence, it is indeed possible that the glue does not entirely cover the whole surface and, consequently, active and glue-based contact points between the rubber and the blade may be limited. Due to this, the adhesion and bond between those two material partners is not optimal and the rubber will probably come off earlier or later.

A good example for a latex glue is the Revolution No. 3 rubber glue. It is one of the best-sellers among all table tennis glues! But also the Stiga Attach Power Glue and the Nittaku Finezip are worth a true recommendation in terms of ping pong glues!

Another reasonable acquisition is a pressure roller. As you might already know, you can cut and tailor your new rubbers using rubber scissors or a cutter knife. The use of an edge banding tape is not only beautiful to look at, the edge banding also protects the bat (especially the outer parts of the veneers).

Important to know: TT-Shop.com does not offer the whole range of products in terms of gluing utensils. This is because we have tested various glues and utensils, and discovered only marginal differences between various brands and products. Hence, there is not really a difference, and the products we offer are -of course- all absolutely fine!

For example, the Donic Vario Clean is highly suitable to glue "normal" rubbers without an integrated speed-gluing effect. By the way, an insider tip is the glue called "Joola Zoom". This glue is one last product we still offer which is NOT VOC-free (VOC = volatile organic compounds). Of course, in terms of health issues, VOC-free glues are always superior! But it is indeed a fact that latex glues as well as the Vario Clean from Donic exhibit a very strong adhesive effect. This is mainly a very positive aspect! On the other hand, however, you must be careful using these glues: If you are gluing a blade which was not sealed before, you are in for a big surprise. When removing the rubbers in the future, you will probably not be able to do this without damaging the blade.

Our concrete recommendation:

The following products are suitable to glue table tennis rubbers with FINE pores:

• Donic Vario Clean: This glue has a strong adhesive effect! Hence, it is strongly recommended to seal the blade in advance!
• Joola Zoom: Unfortunately only available in quite large containers.

The products below are suitable to glue table tennis rubbers with LARGE pores:

• Nittaku Finezip: A viscous, white-colored glue with a good adhesive effect.
• TT Revolution No 3: Our best-seller! Rubbers can easily be removed when using this glue.

Textiles, bags, covers, cases, and how you can stow your table tennis equipment

As you know, there are tons of table tennis accessories and equipment which are also used by club players. In order to be able to transport the equipment into the table tennis hall, it is primarily important to properly and safely stow all of your table tennis equipment. This is related not only to a spacious bag, but may also include backpacks, or even table tennis trolleys. Real ping pong freaks think of table tennis as a sport where one has to carefully select all of the equipment. For this, we think that our guide can really help you with this issue.

The right storage of table tennis goods

Table tennis bags are available in different sizes. The current model Donic Prism, for example, is a bag fabricated based on modern Jacquard polyester. Such a bag has one main compartment. There you can place your shoes, the paddles, etc. This bag also has three side compartments. These offer sufficient room for other ping pong accessories. Here at TT-Shop.com we do not offer the whole range of products regarding bags, backpacks, etc. The reasons for this are first, the immense complexity (large range of products), and second, there are qualitative differences between various brands and products. Hence, we can assure you that the products we offer are of convincing quality!

Trolleys are another possibility to properly stow / store your table tennis equipment. In case you don´t want to carry your sports bag, then a trolley is a good alternative. One of such products is, for example, the Tibhar Trolley Century. With trolleys, you can easily roll your equipment.

No matter if classical table tennis bags or a modern trolley, the safe and appropriate storage of your table tennis equipment is the most important thing. Follow the following links to to find the category containing detailed descriptions of table tennis bags and table tennis trolleys.

These ping pong paddles cases can be found at TT-Shop.com

A ping pong paddle case is the next keyword which is related to table tennis equipment. In order to sufficiently protect the table tennis racket, a paddle case / bat case (or a paddle suitcase in case the cover is more robust and stable) is recommended. A suitcase for rackets / paddles is elegant and particularly break-proof (often, the word case is also used for this category). These are commonly available in a silver or black design. Suitcases, however, exhibit the disadvantage that they only provide room for one paddle.

In contrast, an easy bat case provides sufficient room to store several table tennis rackets. One of these, the Donic Scan (double) has two compartments for two rackets. In particular, racket cases from Donic are equipped with a very good break protection. Of course, there are also "easy" bat cases from Joola, available for only 5.90 Euro. Initially, these were developed for the leisure and recreation market, but are also quite common among table tennis pros.

The category "ping pong paddle case" contains various models. Among these, we are pretty sure that you will also find suitable table tennis paddle cases which will meet your demands and criteria. Currently, we can highly recommend the Tibhar Century (double case). Since we were able to purchase this case in large quantities, we have received a good purchase price which we want to pass on to our customers. Please also take a closer look at our table tennis suitcases which round off our offers regarding the proper storage of ping pong paddles .

Ping pong clothes and protection from sweating

There is nothing more annoying than a drop of sweat landing on your paddle. The drop will spread, and if the ball touches this area, you will most certainly lose this point.

Hence, regularly drying the racket is essential for a ping pong player. According to official regulations, a brief break (to dry you or the racket using e.g. a towel) is possible during competitions every 6 points played. Most table tennis players, especially in higher leagues, use these breaks. As a part of table tennis equipment / accessories, the towel is often underestimated, but is always needed.

All humans possess quite many eccrine sweat glands at the head region. Additionally, the rate of sweat output is quite high at those locations. Hence, a sweatband located at the head is also recommended. This helps you to primarily focus on playing table tennis, and not to focus on unnecessary things like a sweat-induced drying.

Although towels are not the kind of products our TT Shop has focused on, we have a certain selection of towels constantly in stock. Especially when doing competitions, the towel is a decisive factor. This is based on the already mentioned fact that every 6 points played per set, you can have a brief break to catch your breath, to think of new tactical solutions, or to use the towel, for example.

Our selection of table tennis towels can be found by clicking this link.

Ping pong tables and other large table tennis equipment - Tips for the ordering process

Regarding the question what table tennis equipment is necessary to actually play ping pong, the word table should definitely be mentioned. In terms of whether or not two persons are necessary, well, you can also get yourself a ping pong robot and play alone (at least sometimes). The following paragraphs provide some basic information in terms of buying large table tennis equipment.

We can deliver table tennis robots and table tennis tables. Regarding ping pong robots, these are often (not always) in stock. Regarding ping pong tables, it is more complicated and the delivery lasts longer. This is because the tables will be sent by a forwarding agent. The communication between the three partners (consisting of the trader, the brand, and the forwarding agent) is not always very easy and may require some time. Another aspect is that in all cases (not only in terms of robots & tables), the duration of the delivery within Europe is less time consuming compared to more distant countries. Detailed information on this topic can be found in our table regarding shipping costs.

The ping pong table - For hobby, leisure, club, or maybe school?

Of course, ping pong tables are essential to play ping pong! Although you can perform many warm-up and coordinative exercises without any table, for concrete ping pong exercises, training sessions, and competitions you definitely need a table tennis table. For training purposes, any conventional table would be fine, theoretically speaking. For official competitions and tournaments, however, the table must be ITTF-approved. Fortunately, most ping pong tables are approved by the ITTF, and this is clearly and visibly indicated. In addition to this, some tables are even wheelchair-accessible. These exhibit a large legroom. Basically, ping pong tables are divided into tables for indoor use, and outdoor use. Indoor ping pong tables should be protected from a too high humidity, direct moisture / wetness, or direct solar radiation. Well-known brands which produce ping pong tables are, for example, Andro, Joola, Donic, or Tibhar.

Most of the (indoor) table tennis tables available today are of acceptable to very good quality. This is -in most cases- also true for the frame since it is often powder-coated and lacquered exhibiting, hence, a long durability. The profiles and corresponding thicknesses are quite large in their dimensions exhibiting a good overall stability. Unevenness of the ground can be compensated by height-adjustable components. The table can be transported on wheels / castors. This can be done either as a whole, or for each separated half of the table. Sometimes, folded tables can easily be "telescoped" to save space - this is very handy. Most ping pong tables can be opened and closed by a single person only (thanks to a synchronous folding technology), and exhibit various safety features. Also very handy: Many table tennis tables are finally assembled when they are delivered (ready to play)! But you should be careful: Often, the scope of the delivery does not include a net! Because of the sophisticated technologies and the great stability of today´s tables, they usually weigh a lot (often more than 100 kg).

The plates of the tables exhibit a multiple coating, yet even scratch-resistance, and are generally quite resistant. The main colors of ping pong tables are blue or green. An important characteristic is the thickness of the horizontal plate. Commonly, the thickness reaches from 22 to 28 mm. Thicker tables are usually superior in terms of their overall stability and ball behavior compared to thinner tables. The thicker ones are, however, more expensive in most cases.

Table tennis robots - For a better training

Table tennis robots are a very useful addition to the regular training sessions. This is true not only for beginners, but for all playing levels including pros! It is, however, very important to keep in mind that ping pong robots are always an addition, a supplement; they never replace the training with a human being! Ping pong robots are suitable when learning and consolidating various (basic) exercises and techniques, which require a high number of repetitions. Table tennis robots are also suitable when optimizing various coordinative skills, such as the rhythmic ability. When using robots, the coaches have sufficient time to look at their players from all sides and angles. In this overall context, ping pong robots exhibiting an automated ball return system (and a net which collects the balls) are particularly advantageous. This is because they allow non-stop actions, hence training the endurance of the ping pong players.

Ping pong robots are usually based on a control unit (there you can do the overall operation of the robot as well as main settings), a head (ejects the ping pong balls), a ball funnel, and -if present- a net to collect balls, or even an integrated automated ball return system. With respect to the price level and the amount of possible settings, ping pong robots are quite different. Decisive factors which significantly contribute to the overall quality of a specific robot include, for example, what kinds of spin you can select, what ball ejection frequencies, how easily are they assembled, and so on. Well-known manufacturers offering table tennis robots are Tibhar, Donic, or Joola, to name a few.

Other table tennis equipment

In addition to the table tennis equipment mentioned previously, ping pong clothes also play an important role. In case the selection of clothes is not limited due to regulations / templates of your club or school, you should choose articles that seem nice to you. This does not only include the coloration or design, but also the quality and the wearing comfort. It is important that table tennis clothes are made of materials which do not cause sensations of itch or scratch on your skin.

This is also true when actually playing table tennis, e.g. during intense sweat outputs. And yet here we are with another topic: The breathability and the ability to "drain off" moisture. For one thing, this is important to actually cool down the body. On the other side, it would be unpleasant if the body would cool down too much when resting (after having sweated). Similar requirements are true for table tennis shoes. These require breathability in order to avoid (wet and) sweaty feet. Furthermore, a good stability in terms of all directions, a good fit, a light weight, and a good adhesion (good grip) on the ground are decisive factors when buying table tennis shoes.

Las but not least: Other table tennis equipment / accessories, such as bags or backpacks (also mentioned earlier), are very important for this sport. Backpacks exhibit certain properties designed for table tennis. These exhibit, for example, narrower shoulder sections and a shorter back section for women. Furthermore, an adequate back upholstery is an important factor. Also, they have various (sub-) compartments to properly store paddles, balls, clothes, food, beverages, etc. Similar requirements are also evident considering table tennis bags. Various sub compartments rather than one single compartment are recommended. Otherwise, you will lose the overview and small items will "disappear". More dramatically: The hard shows may exert pressure on your rubbers, which is not nice. Other important factors that influence your purchase decision include the material of the ping pong bag, the volume, length-adjustable straps / belts, the quality of the seams / zippers, underbody protection, or water-tightness.

We admit that this guide contains many information at once. However, we really hope that we could mediate some basics you should pay attention to, maybe even a bit more than initially thought. The team of TT-Shop.com wishes you a lot of fun when playing ping pong, and we hope you will find the best table tennis equipment for yourself!